Lost in Time
by Roxy95Violet
Summary: We all know how Patrick Quinn went through the anomaly and got stuck but what if he wasn't alone? What if someone else got stuck with him? Nick and Helen's daughter, Evangeline Cutter.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

Four teenagers with skateboards walked towards a large house laughing and talking. Matt, Ryan, Patrick and Evangeline. Patrick, the ringleader of the group, walked across the front of the house confidently. He wore a chequered shirt over a yellow hoodie. He had short hair, green eyes and a cheesy grin. Matt, his partner in crime. They always caused trouble, especially with the teachers. He had longer hair than the others. Ryan was the responsible one who got roped into their mischief. He had blackish brown hair and brown eyes and wore a jean jacket. Evangeline was the tag along. Her wavy long blond hair flowed behind her. Her bright blues eyes looked up at the house in worry. Usually she would be with her own friends but when you date the school troublemaker, you're bound to get dragged into trouble every once and a while.

The teens walked along the front porch. Patrick reached into the plant pot and pulled out a key. He smiled superiorly. "We'll get done." Ryan said, shaking his head.

"No chance." Patrick grinned before unlocking the door. Ryan and Matt went in. Patrick went to follow when he noticed Evangeline's hesitance.

"I don't know about this, Pat." she said.

Patrick smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It'll be fine." he told her, placing a kiss on her cheek. He took her by hand and led her in. "Come on."

The boys looked around the house in amazement. Like kids in a candy store. "This is brilliant." Matt said.

"I gotta check this." Patrick said, leading them upstairs leaving Ryan downstairs to raid the fridge. They looked around the rooms.

"It's wicked for boarding." Matt said, looking up and down the landing.

Patrick poked his head around a door and grinned. "Or other stuff." he said, looking over his shoulder at Evangeline. She walked over to him and looked into the room which only had a double bed in. He grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows before taking her hand and pulling her inside.

Evangeline looked around the room rubbing the tops of her arms nervously. Patrick placed a hand over her and gently turn her around. He smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on the base of her neck and kissed her soundly. At that moment, all of Evangeline's nerves were washed away and she placed her hands on his shoulder and kissed her back. He broke away and kissed along her jaw before he started to nibble on her neck. Evangeline sighed and buried a hand in his hair.

A scream sounded throughout the house. Evangeline snapped out of it. "Patrick stop." Patrick groaned and continued his assault on her neck. "Pat." she said, pushing him away.

Patrick sighed. "What?"

"Didn't you hear that? Matt's in trouble." she said, leaving the room.

Patrick groaned and followed her. "He's probably just messing around." he said, before a flickering light from one of the rooms caught his attention. He walked over to and pushed the door open. "Hey, Eves. Come look at this." he said. The two teenagers enter the room and stared at the floating ball of light.

Their jaws dropped. "What is it?" Evangeline asked. Patrick walked over to it and held out a hand. He continued to walk forwards before he completely disappeared. Evangeline was left in the room alone. She looked around, sensing she wasn't alone. Not noticing the creature over her right shoulder. She froze and slowly turned around. The creature hissed and Evangeline screamed, backing away. The creature jumped on her and they fell through the anomaly.

They came out the other side and the creature scratched her arm, causing Evangeline to cry out. The creature hissed and raised its claw to attack again when a log swung out of nowhere throwing the creature through the anomaly again.

Evangeline looked up at Patrick. He bent down to help her up. "You okay?" he asked checking the wound. Evangeline nodded. The teens looked at the anomaly. "What was that thing?"

"A Chamaeleonsaur." a familiar voice said.

They looked around at Helen Cutter. Evangeline's mouth fell open. "Mum?"

* * *

_A/N So what do you think? Continue or abandon?_

_And I'm sorry about the bad dinosaur name '__Chamaeleonsaur'. I didn't know what it was called and I'm bad at coming up with names._


	2. Chapter 1

**What Happens in the Past, Stays in the Past**

* * *

_**The Home Office 2007**_

Lester had called Claudia and Nick into his office. Nick sat at the table while James and Claudia stood behind him. A screen in front of them went through several pictures from Helen's camera.

"We developed the film in the camera you brought back." James said.

Nick stared at the screen. "It's her. It's Helen." he said. The screen changed to the last picture. Helen stood in front of the prehistorically landscape behind a blond woman with familiar blue eyes. Helen had her arms wrapped around her shoulders and they both smiled at the camera.

Nick stared at the screen in even more shock. "Who's that?" Claudia asked.

"That's Evangeline." Nick said. "She's my daughter."

"Your daughter?" Claudia repeated in shock.

"Great. What next? Your sister?" Lester remarked.

"She went missing when she was fourteen along with two of her friends." Nick told them.

"So she found an anomaly and went through it?" Claudia said, trying to understand the situation.

"She must've done."

"Must run in the family." James said. The screen switched to black. "I'm sorry for your personal loss, Professor. This camp that you discovered. There were no clues as to who made it, or what it was for?" James asked. "The thought that someone was there before us is far from reassuring. And I used to think the EU Common Agricultural Policy was far-fetched. Still, at least the immediate crisis is over."

Nick moved to the window and looked out it. "Some force out there ripped the boundaries of space and time to shreds. Maybe it's happened before, in which case, every single thing we thought we knew about the Universe is wrong. Or this is the first time. In which case, what changed? What happens next? Believe me, it's very, very far from over." He brushed past Lester and Claudia as he walked out.

* * *

_**Russia 1902**_

"Smile." a cameraman said. Evangeline stood in front of him in a dark blue 19th century gown with her long blond hair hanging over her shoulder. She smiled sweetly as she held hands with a man with messy dark brown hair and a stubble. His brown eyes twinkled with happiness.

The camera flashed making them blink as the light blinded them. The bald, hunched cameraman smile his thanks and took his camera away to photograph more people. The man with the messy hair sighed and turned to Evangeline and looked into her tired blue eyes. It had been ten years since they found their way through an anomaly and it had affected them both. He would have moments when he would lose control of his temper and let it out on people around them, but Evie would always be there to calm him down. Evie would wake up in the middle of the night screaming from nightmares of the future but he was always there to comfort her.

"Dobrowski." he said slower.

"Dobrowski." she repeated before sighing. "Why did you have to pick such a difficult name?" she whined.

"Well it is Russian." he chuckled.

"Yeah but mine's Russian and it's not that complicated."

"Well you'd better start practising if we're gonna get married." he said, lifting her left hand to kiss the simple gold engagement ring. Evie looked at it smiled before kissing her fiancé.

Meanwhile, in an alleyway a few feet away, a bald scarred man watched with a scowl.

* * *

_**Underground Train Station Storeroom 2007**_

Stephan laid on the floor of a storeroom breathing heavily and wheezing. Nick came in through the door and spotted him. He ran over and knelt by his side. "What happened?" Nick asked, concerned for his friend.

"Argument with the bug. The bug won." Stephen joked.

"Where is it now?" Nick asked, but Stephen didn't reply. "All right, lets get you out of here."

"Hey, I don't have any feeling in my legs." he said.

"Yeah, shock." Nick said. He helped Stephen to sit up right and handed him the torch. "Take this." he said. He pulled Stephen to his feet and wrapped his arm around his shoulder so he could lean on him. Stephen limped as Nick led them out the room.

"There's something I have to tell you." Stephen rasped.

"Ah, you're not dying. It can wait." Nick reassured him, trying to reassure himself as well.

"Helen's alive." Stephen panted. "She was here. She gave me a message."

Nick stopped and turned to look at Stephen who could barely keep his eyes open. "What's the message?" he asked.

"She's waiting on the other side of the anomaly. She said… she said if you want to know the truth, you've got to come and find her. And that she's found Evangeline." Nick continued to stare at him before continuing to lead him out the tunnel.

* * *

_**Evangeline's Bedroom 1902**_

Evangeline stood in front of a full body mirror running her hands down her wedding dress, smoothing out the creases. It was a full length dress that reached the floor. It had a tight bodice with a lace neckline and sleeves. Her hair was curled into ringlets. She smiled, pleased with her appearance before going over to the bedside table. She opened the draw and searched through it, frowning as she couldn't find what she was looking for. A knock came door.

She poked her head around it as she answered it. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"What? I'm not allowed to see my fiancé?" Patrick asked.

"Not before the wedding, no."

Patrick sighed. "You don't honestly believe that superstitious nonsense, do you?"

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Rude." he muttered. "Is my scarf in there?"

"Hold on." she said. She shut the door and scanned the room. She spotted the offending item on the desk in corner. She walked over and picked it up when a wolf whistle startled her. She turned around and Patrick leant smirking against the door frame. "Patrick!" she shouted.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I haven't seen it already." he said.

"What?!"

"I may have had a peek." Patrick said sheepishly. He walked over and took the scarf from her hands. "But, if it's any consolation, you look beautiful."

Evangeline took the scarf back. "Flattery won't get you anywhere." she said.

Patrick smirked. "What about this?" he asked, bending his head to peck her lip before going back for a deeper one. Evangeline sighed contently, putting her hands on his shoulders to wrap his scarf around his neck for him.

She pulled back suddenly. "Oh, that reminds me, have you see my handkerchief?"

Patrick frowned in confusion. "How does me kissing you remind you of a handkerchief?"

"I was looking for it before you came in. It was the one my mad great-aunt Margaret gave me. I was hoping it could be my something blue."

Patrick turned to the full body mirror and adjusted his scarf. "No, I haven't. Sorry." He turned to her again. "See you down the aisle." He went to kiss her again but she held her hand to his lips.

"Go before you cause me more bad luck." she told him.

"That's not bad luck. That's you being careless." he said.

She pointed to door and put a hand on her hip. "Now!"

Patrick sighed and slumped, shuffling towards the door like a kicked puppy. "Yes, dear."

Evangeline smiled fondly before sitting at her vanity and fixing her make up. She looked down for second to pick up her mascara. When she looked up again a shadow moved inside her adjoining bathroom. She put the make up down and spun around on her stool. "Hello?" she called. She stood and edged her way to the bathroom. "Is someone there?" She walked over to the closed door and put her ear against it. Silence. She opened the door and suddenly her head hurt and she felt herself falling. Her eyes blurred and she tried to focus on the two intruders.

"What are we going to do with her?" a man asked.

"Take her back to the anomaly and leave her on the other side so the younger me finds her." a woman said. A hand caressed Evangeline's face. "Sorry to crash the wedding, Eva. It's nothing personal."

Evangeline frowned. Only two people ever called her Eva and they were in the future. She didn't have long to think about it as a piece of blue cloth with initials EC embroidered on it covered her mouth. She breathed in the weird smell and fell unconscious.

* * *

_A/N I know it__'__s not much but I didn__'__t really see the point of rewriting all the episodes just to edit one or two things so I wrote little snippets instead. Also a bit of background information about Evangeline Cutter life on the other side of the anomaly._


	3. Chapter 2

**3) Mosasaurs**

* * *

Nick, Claudia, Lester stood at the back of the conference room. Several other government officials sat around a conference table listening to Connor talk about anomalies by video link. "The magnetic field is remaining consistent at five teals. At this point there is no sign f deterioration." he reported. "Let me demonstate, huh?" Connor held up a metal flask as Lester turned to Cutter who was thinking intently about his wife and daughter.

"Who's that idiot?" Lester asked snapping Nick out of his thoughts.

"Connor Temple." Nick said. "He looks like a half-wit, but he has a very good brain."

Connor let go of the flask and it got pulled into the anomaly. "Whoa! Bulls-eye!" he cried. "That kills me every time."

"We may stand on the brink of Armageddon, but at least we have an irritating student on our side. How reassuring." Lester said sarcastically.

"Is this thing still on?" Connor asked, not sure if they were listening or not.

Lester turned the screen off and went to sit in his seat at the head of the table. "The previous anomaly proved to be temporary. As you've just heard, this one shows no sign of weakening."

"The anomalies may be intermittent, and they fade from time to time, but they never completely disappear." Nick added.

"Well, if that were true, creatures would have come through before." James said.

"Maybe they have. Ancient civilsations have spoken of monsters and dragons. Perhaps they weren't as naïve as we assumed. The anomalies are conclusive proof that the past exists in a fourth dimension as real and solid as those we already know. Our job is to predict and contain them. We need to establish what…"

"Thank you, Professor. We'll take it from here." Lester said, cutting off Nick's speech. "The Professor is speaking in an independent capacity. Official policy is yet to be finalised." Lester's personal secretary walked in and handed him a note. James read it before turning back to the meeting. "It appears we may have another one."

* * *

Stephen stood in the hospital room packing his things after the giant centipede incident in the tunnels. Connor stood by the door. "You really don't remember a thing?" he asked.

"Not a thing after I went into the tunnels. Probably for the best though, right?" Stephen said, knowing something happened when he was attack but he just couldn't remember. "Still, they say it's only short term, so, you know…"

"It's all been pretty scary, hasn't it? You know, it's not until you got bitten that I thought one of us might actually die from doing this. Really upset me." Connor said.

Stephen looked up at him. "You must have gone through hell." he said.

"Yep." Connor said simply causing the two men to grin at each other. "It did make me think about what's important though, you know. Sorts out your priorities a bit. If you get killed, can I have your iPod?"

Abbey walked in the hospital room, hair done, make-up on and wearing a skirt. The boy glanced at her before doing a double-take and gaped at her.

"Is that perfume?" Connor noted.

"I can do the girl thing, you know." she told him.

"Ooh." Connor replied.

"You look really good." Stephen complimented.

"Thanks." Abbey blushed.

"It's good of you both to come." Stephen said. "Shouldn't have bothered."

"Don't flatter yourself. Some of us just like hanging out with nurses." Connor joked, looking over his shoulder at a nurse who was getting sheets.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift home." Abbey offered.

"Oh, there's no need." Stephen said. "My girlfriend's picking me up." Abbey froze, unable to think of anything to say. How could she have been so stupid? Of course he would've had a girlfriend.

"Girlfriend?" Connor asked, watching Abbey out the corner of his eye in concern.

"Allison. She's been in the rainforest for two years researching infectious diseases." Stephen said.

"Let's hope she's not one of those girls who brings her work home with her." Connor joked trying to get Abbey to smile. No luck.

"You must have missed her." Abbey said sadly.

"Yeah, I'd better go." Stephen said, going to leave.

"Bye." Connor waved to him as he left leaving Connor and Abbey alone. "Two years." he mused, trying to imagine what it must be like. "How much sex are they going to have over the next few days?"

Abbey threw a pillow at him in anger and hurt. "Sorry." she apologized.

"It's alright." he said.

"Well, so much for the girl thing." she said, sitting on the bed.

"I think you look great." Connor said, trying to cheer her up.

* * *

Nick and Claudia arrived at the swimming pool where a life guard went missing. They walked along the poolside with a Police Inspector who told them what had happened. "Pretty obvious she killed her boyfriend, but we don't know what she did with the body. Just keeps babbling on about monsters and sea serpents."

Nick frowned slightly remembering when his daughter went missing. Her friend Ryan told the police there was a monster. Maybe she really wasn't missing or dead. Maybe she just went through an anomaly. "Would you let me talk to her?" Nick asked.

"What about? Monsters?" the Police Inspector replied incredulously. "I'm conducting a serious murder investigation here…"

"There was no murder. Anthony Barton was killed by an ancient marine predator, which then returned to its home, millions of years in the past." Nick said seriously before walking away.

"Who are you people?" the Inspector asked Claudia.

"I'm sorry. Thanks for you're time Inspector." Claudia said, avoiding the question. She followed Nick. "Cutter, wait."

"The girl's innocent." Nick said.

"I know." Claudia said.

"We can't let her go to jail for something she didn't do."

"Leave that with me, I'll do what I can for her."

* * *

Evie was sprawled out on a bed of sand. Her wedding dress was slightly ripped from where someone had obviously been dragging her. Her head ached from where she was knocked out and the heat of the sun wasn't helping. She groaned and lifted a hand to head feeling something sticky. She pulled it back and her fingers were red with blood.

"Try to take it easy." a woman said. "That was some blow to the head. You've been out for hours." Evie lifted her head and looked around. On a pile of rocks opposite her was a tall bird like creature. "Don't worry about them. They're harmless and stupid." Evie turned her head to see her mother sitting on a rock.

"Where are we?" Evie asked.

"At a guess, some when in the cretaceous." Helen said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit over the head and right now, I'm really hoping this is just a dream."

Helen nodded mutely watching the sea like she was looking for something. Sensing eyes on her, she turned her head and saw her daughter staring. Helen looked over her clothes. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"It's a long story." Evie said, standing on wobbly legs.

Helen shrugged. "I have time." Evie eyed her before sighing and joining to join her on the rocks. She took off her shoes so she could dip her feet in the cool cretaceous sea.

* * *

Connor and Abby sat by the poolside in a comfortable silence. Connor took his shoes and socks off so he could dip his feet into the water. Abby took samples of the water when Stephen joined them wearing the bottom part of a wet suit. He sat next to Connor to put on his flippers.

"With all this chlorine in the pool, I'm surprised the creature came through. To a reptile it would have been like swimming in a bucket of acid." Connor said.

"Yeah. It probably sense the danger and got out fast before the anomaly closed." Stephen agreed.

Abby took her sample away. "So how's Allison?" Connor asked casually.

"Jet-lagged." Stephen replied, cleaning his goggles.

"You see, it's funny, because you always give the impression like you were single." Connor said.

"That's funny, I didn't think I was giving any impression whatsoever." Stephen retorted.

"You'd be surprised." Connor said, looking at Abby which went unnoticed by Stephen.

"Connor, I'm flattered, but you're really not my type." Stephen said before diving into the pool, splashing a confused Connor.

* * *

Claudia followed Lester through the Home Office. "The police have charged Diane Johnson." Claudia told him.

"I know." Lester replied.

"We have to intervene." Claudia argued.

"We're not going to do that." Lester retorted.

Claudia stopped walking. "Why not?"

Lester turned to her. "Because I won't allow this story to become public property. At least in prison the newspapers can't get hold of her."

"So you're just going to let them lock up an innocent and traumatised girl?"

"Of course it's undesirable, but it would be far worse to release her to cause panic and disorder. I'll see that the charges are dropped when the immediate crisis is under control." Lester promised.

"That could take months." Claudia said.

"And would you rather tell the police that an ancient sea monster is cruising our swimming pools consuming lifeguards?" Lester asked her. Claudia backed down slightly. "I know the injustice stings, but the correct decision is often painful. That's the burden of Government." Lester walked off leaving and annoyed Claudia behind.

* * *

A few hours later Claudia and Nick found themselves in Lester's office when a body turned up in a harbour. Claudia gave Lester a set of photo of the body. "Well, the DNA is conclusive. It's the boy from the swimming pool. Or what's left of him."

"It's a bolus." Nick said. "A regurgitated mass of flesh and bone. The beast swallowed him whole and then vomited up what it couldn't digest."

"And what kind of creature could have done this to him?" Lester said, looking through the pictures.

"What you should be asking yourself, is how the remains of a boy who was attacked in a swimming pool, end up twenty miles away in a reservoir." Nick said.

"Maybe there never was an anomaly." Lester said, putting the photos down. "Maybe the girl murdered her boyfriend in the swimming pool and dumped his body in the reservoir."

"It's very likely, provided you also believe she swallowed him whole and then drove twenty miles down the motorway to regurgitate his remains." Nick retorted.

"All right then, you explain it." Lester challenged.

"We know it was the same beast in the pool and the reservoir. Perhaps the anomaly has a fixed point of origin in the past, yet somehow it remains fluid in our time. They don't just open, they move." Nick suggested.

* * *

Nick and the Home Office soldiers arrived at the pier and walked over to Claudia and Ryan. Connor stood on the walkway with a long stick checking the water levels. Abby and Stephen tested samples from the water.

"How are you?" Nick asked Ryan.

"All right." he said.

"We haven't found anything yet. No creature, no anomaly, no nothing." Claudia told him. "We're still searching the reservoir, but with any luck the anomaly's closed again."

"I need detailed local maps, list of swimming pools, rivers, lakes, anything nearby. Can you get those for me?" Nick asked.

"Should I be asking why?" Claudia replied.

"It's just an idea." Nick said.

"Do you know what I miss? Those soul-crushingly dull civil service meetings, which made suicide look like an exciting career option. I used to sit there praying something would happen in my life." Claudia said.

"Careful what you wish for." Nick told her.

"Professor! Professor!" Connor shouted. Nick ran over to where Connor was poking a stick into the water. "You're really going to want to see this. The reservoir's land locked, right?"

"Yes." Nick said.

"So, allowing for condensation and rainfall, the depth should be pretty consistent." Connor said.

"Yes."

"Well, I made this mark at water level earlier." Connor showed Nick a red tape wrapped around the stick before putting it in the water. The Water level was lower than the mark. "The water level's fallen forty centimetres since then. This isn't a reservoir any more, it's a tidal lake. The water's literally pouring out of it."

"It must be flowing out through the anomaly." Nick said before looking at the reservoir. "Which means it's still down there somewhere."

Nick continued to stare at the water thoughtfully. Claudia joined him and handed him a cup of coffee. "Here you are."

"Thanks very much." Nick thanked her.

"Thinking about Helen and Evangeline?" Claudia asked.

"How did you know that?" Nick said.

"Highly trained civil servant." Claudia answered. "We're famous for our emotional empathy."

"Whatever I'm doing, she's always there." Nick said, talking about Helen. "She never really goes away."

"Strange. Of all the people in the world to hallucinate, Stephen chose Helen." Claudia mused.

Nick stared at the water again when something caught his eye. "Steam." he said. "Don't you see? The tide must be coming in, bringing in warmer water from the other side. The steam is telling us exactly where the anomaly is." Nick ran off leaving a disappointed Claudia standing there without her answer. She was hoping Nick would deny the idea Helen was coming back but he didn't. Did he still have feelings for this woman? She sighed and followed him.

* * *

Nick and Stephen began putting on wetsuits with some other soldiers. "I suppose there's no point in asking you not to go down with them." Claudia said.

"You don't have to worry about me." Nick smirked.

"I'm not. I'm just thinking about all the paperwork I'l have to do if you drown. No idea how many forms I'll have to fill in." Claudia joked. "What if you're right and the creature's still down there?"

"We'll find it. All right?" Nick reassure her. He and Stephen sailed off in their inflatable. Claudia watched worriedly with an impassive Ryan on the pier.

Nick and Stephen set up their scuba tanks and dove into the water. After doing a few checks making sure the equipment was alright they gave each other the 'ok' signal. They swam along when the diver in front of them disappeared as a familiar ball of light appeared in front of them. They stopped and glanced at each other before staring at the anomaly. Nick signalled to go up and they swam to the surface and got back in the boat. They dived in again with a camera and recorded the anomaly. The dinosaur swam towards Nick. It shook its head and roared before swimming past Nick and through the anomaly, leaving a trail of blood.

* * *

Helen and Evie sat on the rocks in silence after Evie told her everything that had happened to her. "Wow." Helen said, surprised at what her daughter had been through. "Kidnapped on your wedding day. You must be… upset."

Evie laughed slightly at her mother's attempt at comforting her. Using her dad was the one who did the comforting. For obvious reasons. "Yeah. When I found out who they were I'm going to kill them. Usually you worry about flowers and stuff, not kidnapping and dinosaurs."

They sat in silence again. "So you really went to the future?" Helen asked, curious.

Evie looked incredulously at her. "Really? After every thing I've told you, you ask about the future?"

"Yeah. I'm curious." Helen shrugged. Evie stared at the sea again. "So what was it like?"

Evie frowned as something black in the middle of the water caught her attention. "What's that?"

Helen followed her eyeline and smiled. "Finally." she muttered. She stood up and went towards it with a confused Evie following close behind.

* * *

"Some kind of mosasaur, maybe six or seven metres." Connor told Nick on the surface after he and Abby were attacked. Abby sat by a medic with a blanket over her in shock. "Cretaceous, at a guess."

"Scary. And at that size, it couldn't have been fully-grown." Nick said.

"Yeah." Connor agreed.

"Which is just as well for you." Nick said, patting Connor on the shoulder.

Claudia joined them. They watched Ryan's men, Ryan and Stephen. "They're all really uset about losing the diver. Tell me exactly what happened." she said.

"He swam through right in front f me. He should have been able to make it back through." Nick said as he and Claudia walked away.

"Something must have stopped him." Claudia said. "Are you absolutely certain the anomaly's closed?"

"Straight after the mosasaur went back through. The water temperature's already returned to normal."

"Then we've lost him."

"Yeah." Nick said sadly.

* * *

Claudia and Nick were in the Home Office meeting room with Lester and a load of maps laid out on the table. "The anomalies are times equivalent of an earthquake. Strong enough to rip apart the boundaries between dimensions. M guess is that the fault line ruptures at the swimming pool then ran to the reservoir. It could crash its way through into our time again anywhere along this line." Nick explained indicating to a long red line across the map linking the swimming pool and reservoir.

"Earthquakes? Temporal fault lines? Are we trying too hard people?" Lester said, unimpressed. "It's random chance, that's all. There's no connection with any of it. Try to look on the bright side, Cutter. The anomaly's gone, the crisis is over and I'd say we got off pretty lightly."

"Except that a good man is now permanently marooned in the past." Claudia added.

"There could be another breach along the fault line at any given moment. You should be stationing troops at every significant body of water between the reservoir and the coast." Nick told him.

"The press would be crawling all over us in seconds. How on Earth would we explain it? I mean, you admit that it's all conjecture?" Lester said.

"Yes, of course it is, but I'm right." Nick said.

"You people, you're worse that the climate change mob." Lester said. "One cold day in July and suddenly it's the new Ice Age."

"You're making a mistake. If an when the anomaly breaks through again, I guarantee you it will be somewhere along this line." Nick said, running his finger over the line.

* * *

Evie caught up with her mother. Helen knelt by the body of a diver. Evie gasped and checked him over. She'd always wanted to be a doctor but after getting trapped on the other side of the anomaly that dream died. "He died of shock." she told Helen.

Helen reached into her pocket and pulled out Evie's blue handkerchief. Evie watched her in confusion. "Where did you get that?" she asked wearily.

"Found it next to you when you were unconscious." Helen held the piece of cloth out to her. "It has a heavy odour. Chloroform."

Evie bent forwards slightly and sniffed it. She was at least six inches away and she could smell it. It was strong. "Okay. I believe you." she said, slightly dizzy. Helen took the handkerchief and tied it around the diver's wrist. "What is he doing here?" Evie asked.

"He must've come through an anomaly." Helen replied. "From the twenty-first century." Evie stopped. Twenty first century? Where dad was. "Help me, would you?" Helen asked. Picking the diver up under his arms.

"Why?" Evie asked, doing what her mother told her.

"We're sending him back. With a message for Nick." she grinned.


	4. Chapter 3

Stephen walked through the Home Office. He looked at a screen which had pictures of the tunnel he was attacked. His head throbbed as he remembered laying on the floor and a figure standing over him. He snapped out of it and found himself leaning on the railings of the stairs. Nick walked down the stairs with a map and patted him on the back as he passed.

"Come on, let's go." he said. Nick went down a bit further before sensing something was wrong. He looked up at Stephen to see he hadn't moved. He looked at him concerned. What was wrong with him?

"I've been remembering things." Stephen said, knowing what he was thinking.

"You mean Helen?" Nick said knowingly.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked. "Did you go looking for her?"

"Look if she wanted to talk to me then she could have. Why keep playing games with me?" Nick said.

"You mean this isn't the first time? How long have you known she was alive?"

"Look, not long. But all these years, she let me think she was dead. She me go through that. What does that tell you?"

"Come on, there could be all kinds of reasons why she stayed away. The point is she wants to see you now."

"She left you to die on your own." Nick said.

"Maybe she thought help was coming." Stephen defended.

"Maybe she didn't care. You think I don't want to know what happened? I've thought of nothing else for eight years. But what if… what if the truth is worse than not knowing? Are you going to tell the others?"

"No. It's not my call. But if she was my wife, I'd go through a million anomalies for her." Stephen said.

"Yeah, but she isn't, is she?"

"But she was important to me too."

"I know that." Nick said before leaving.

* * *

"We haven't clarified the exact picture yet, but it looks like a plumber was attacked in some woman's cellar." Claudia reported to Lester.

"I'm surprised, have you seen how much these people charge?" Lester replied.

"She claims that the damage was done by some kind of large reptile." Claudia said.

"And I suppose you're going to tell me this town lies directly on Cutter's mythical fault line?" Lester said sarcastically. Claudia remained silent. Lester sighed. "I'm really beginning to dislike that man."

* * *

In the woman's cellar a diver came to the surface. Black jeeps pulled up outside. Ryan want over in his casual clothes. _"__All units, a second body has been found in the basement. I repeat, a second body has been found in the basement.__"_

"Zero to team Bravo." Ryan said into his radio. "Move into position and set up…" Ryan enter the house with his two men. They past the diver's body when something blue caught Ryan's eye. "Hold on." He took the handkerchief off the diver's wrist and traced the initials E.C. on it. Ryan took it outside to make a call.

* * *

Lester and Claudia waited for news in the meeting room. "I want the press kept as far away from this as possible." Lester said. "If we have to, we gone with an escaped crocodile story, but apart from that, we deny everything."

He went to leave but Claudia's phone rang. "Sir." she halted him. "Claudia speaking…Right…Thank you… Bye-bye." She hung up and turned to Lester. "They found a body in the basement. Special forces diver."

"Great." Lester groan, annoyed that Cutter was right again.

* * *

Claudia arrived at the house and Ryan went over to her. "It's our diver. The man we lost in the reservoir. Looks like he died of shock." Ryan told her. He handed her a see-through bag with the blue handkerchief in it. "They found this tied around his wrist. We don't know how the hell it got there."

Claudia looked at it and noticed the initials. E.C. Evangeline Cutter.

Nick and Stephen watched as soldiers poked looked around the family's basement. Claudia walked down the stairs un-amused.

"What kept you?" Nick asked, noticing her entrance. Claudia didn't respond and just gave him a look. He straightened slightly, knowing it must be serious. "What is it?" She pulled out the pastel blue handkerchief with the turquoise initials EC. Nick sighed and followed her up the stairs.

Claudia led him out to the kitchen. Nick leant against the windowsill overlooking the garden. "Helen's mad old aunt used to give us those handkerchiefs. Same present every single birthday and Christmas, and we used to make jokes about them." he explained. "That's a message. It means Helen's waiting for me on the other side of the anomaly and Evangeline is with her."

"Just like she was in the underground." Claudia stated.

"Yeah." Nick said.

"Why didn't you tell me? You lied to me, to all of us."

"Try and see it from my perspective. I have just found out that my dead wife and daughter were still alive, Claudia." he said.

"They might know things. Things that could help us. You have no right to decide what we should know and when we should know it." Claudia argued.

"They're my family. My wife and child." Nick said, raising his voice a bit.

"Maybe in your mind that gives you some kind of special privilege, but this affects all of us. If you can't see that, then you just can't be here anymore." Claudia said, throwing the handkerchief on the floor and walking away.

Nick sighed and looked down at it thoughtfully.

* * *

"The revelation that Helen and Evangeline Cutter are still alive changes everything." James said.

"They're still alive?" Connor asked. "Umm, how did I miss that?"

"Long story." Claudia said.

"So, Helen's been in the past for eight years and Evangeline twelve? My God. How are we going to explain Celebrity Love Island to them?" Connor remarked.

"Shut up, Connor." Claudia told him.

"They're eight and twelve years ahead of us in term of understanding the anomalies. Their knowledge could be priceless and we have to share it." James said.

"Which is fine if they were here, but they're not." said Stephen.

"Which is why we're going to go and find them. We know Helen wants to make contact. They must be brought back here, by force if necessary." said James.

"This is my wife and daughter you're talking about." Nick said.

"Which is why I want you to go through the anomaly and bring them back. You will of course have a military escort." he said.

"To do what? Shoot them if they won't come back?"

"To protect you, the three of you. The alternative is you sever all ties with the anomaly project with immediate effect, and we'll go and find her ourselves."

"Okay, on one condition. I go on my own. There's no question of force. I'll do my best, but it they don't want to come back, then that's it."

"How can we trust you?" Claudia asked.

"Oh, I'm sure Professor Cutter won't let is down again. You will try and remember what side you're on, won't you?" James said.

* * *

"Okay, so you've got about an hour of air, and a mile of rope. Take a compass reference as soon as you get there and just stay attached. After two hours, we'll reel you back in. The water pressure in the anomaly is going to be intense, okay? So the harder you swin, the more air you're going to use." Stephen told him as he got ready. He held up a harpoon. "Now this has an effective range of about ten metres. If you have to use it again a predator, wait until you see the whites of its teeth."

* * *

Nick waded through the water before walking up onto the shore of the cretaceous. He took off his suit and left all his equipment on the sand. He looked around at the deserted landscape. "Helen!" he shouted. He began to climb a pile of rocks. Some Hesperonis were perched on them and they hissed as he came closer. When Nick reached halfway a splash reached his ears. He looked towards the sound and saw Helen swimming naked in a small lake. Sitting on the edge of the lake in a wore out wedding dress was his daughter. Her skirt was hitched up so she could paddle her feet in the water. His breath caught in his throat. She looked so grown up since he last saw her.

"Hello, Nick." Helen called up to him without even looking at him. "I see you got my message."

Evangeline looked up at him and grinned. As soon as Nick reached the lake Evangeline ran over to him and pulled him into a hug. He hugged back, knowing the tears in his eyes would've been a giveaway that he did miss her. "I missed you." Evie said, shaking. Nick only just realised she was crying and hugged her tighter.

"I missed you too."

* * *

Nick and Evangeline sat on the rocks, throwing pebbles into the water as Helen did lengths of the pool. He frowned remembering something. "Why are you in a wedding dress?"

Evangeline looked down at herself. "Long story." she smiled sheepishly.

"Well, your mother my take a while." Nick said.

"Well, when we went through the anomaly, it closed and we couldn't get back. So we travelled for a while and we came across a group called the time tribe. They're a group of people who got lost in time. Basically when other anomalies open we went through them, hoping we'd find our way back home. But after six years we gave up. We found ourselves in Russia, we stayed there, built a life, a new beginning. We were even gonna get married." Evangeline explained.

"Six years of going through anomalies?" Nick repeated. She nodded and looked down, playing with her engagement ring. "What did you see? Where did you go?"

Evangeline smiled fondly. "Some of the things we saw were beautiful." Her smiled fell. "And some were horrible. I used to have nightmares about some of the things we saw. But I did try. I tried to get back home."

"I know, sweetheart." Nick said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Splashing caught their attention as Helen got out the lake. Nick and Evie stood, turning around to give her privacy to change.

After a while, Helen decided to break the silence. "You've lost weight." Helen noted. "You haven't bee eating properly."

"You let me think you were dead." Nick replied.

"I am dead as the person you knew. My old life ended eight years ago." Helen said. "You know, you can turn around, I'm decent." They did so. Helen placed her hands on her hips. "There's no easy way to do this, is there?"

"Well, maybe we should just skip the small talk. Why didn't you come back?" he asked.

"What are you really upset about, Nick?" Helen asked. "That I stayed away, or that I didn't tell you what I was doing?" Evangeline left to sit on the rocks again. Even though she hadn't seen them for years she still hated it when they fought.

"I'm not upset, Helen. I just don't know who you are anymore." he said.

"You want to know why I didn't come back? Because I knew your conscience would make you throw all this out there for everyone to trample over and I wasn't ready to share it then." she said. "Hey!" she shouted, throwing a rock over Evie's head. Evie ducked and looked behind her as a hesperonis was creeping up on her but the rock her mom threw scared it off. "Hesperonis. Scary up close, but cumbersome and very stupid." Helen explained. "What do you want, Nick? An apology? What's the point?"

"Eight years of my life back would be nice." Nick said.

"Look, come on. People grieve and then they heal. It happens all the time. Why should you been any different?"

"Well, why come back at all then?" Nick retorted. "Let me guess, you want something."

* * *

Helen gave Nick the lid of a thermos as she filled it with water from the lake. "You've come back before?" he said. "Did you watch me grieve? Did you come to the funeral?"

"No." Helen said. "Was it good?"

"It was okay." he said.

Helen sighed knowing what he was thinking. He had questions. "I'll answer all your questions, Nick. All you have to do it come with me. There are more anomalies than you can possibly imagine. I know how to find them."

"I asked you a question. Why do you want me now? After so long?" Nick asked.

"I'm human. I want company. I want to share this incredible gift, but only with you two." Helen said. "Nick, I have seen such wonders. Things you wouldn't believe."

"You're asking me to abandon my life. Leave behind everything I know. You know, people are dying back home, and you want me to just run away with you?"

"And Eva. Animals die, Nick. Species die. You know I'm right." Helen said. "One day, humanity will disappear, just like the dinosaurs, and nature doesn't care, something else will just take our place. Nick, just leave all the other stuff behind and come with us."

Nick hesitated. "I've got a job to do, you could help me if you like."

"You're rejecting me?" Helen said surprised.

"I'm asking you to come back with me." Nick said.

"I offer you the key to time. The key to time, Nick. And you turn your back on it? Call yourself a scientist?" Helen insulted.

"I call myself a human being." he retorted. Nick looked over to the rocks where Evie watched the entire argument. They'd always argued and when they did she would just sit out the way. "Eva?"

"I just want to go home." Evie said joining them

"I can help you." Nick said.

"No. I'm sorry, dad, but I mean home with Ethan. I have a life in Russia." she said sadly. She looked over to her mother. "Do you really know when anomalies will appear? Can you get me back to Russia?"

Helen smiled and nodded her head. Evie smiled apologetically at her dad. "Sorry, Dad." She gave him one last hug before he went back to the anomaly. Helen and Evangeline watched from the cliffs.

* * *

Nick sat in the back of an ambulance parked outside the house after he was attacked by Mosasaurs. He couldn't remember much of it before he drowned. Abbey sat inside it with him as Connor stood by the door, both of them glancing at the house worried, knowing what Lester and Claudia were up to.

"How long have I been out for?" Nick asked.

"Not long." Abbey told him, debating to herself whether she should tell them about the soldiers going after his family.

"I have to talk to Claudia." Nick said.

Abbey came to a decision. "There's something you should know." she said.

Nick stepped out the ambulance and the soldiers immediately pointed their guns at him. "Stand still! Don't move!" one soldier ordered.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"Stay still!" the soldier said again.

Nick looked over at the house. Lester walked out followed by Ryan and some of his men. Between two men was a soaking wet Helen. She walked with ease, not attempting to struggle. Her hands cuffed behind her back. She looked over and glared accusingly at Nick.

Behind her two soldier escorted a struggling Evie who had tears streaming down her face. "No, get off me!" she shouted, trying to pull her arms out of the soldiers' grips. She looked over at the ambulance and Nick's heart dropped. "Dad!" she shouted.

Connor and Abbey nervously eyed the guns being pointed at them. Stephen was being held back in the house by a soldier. The soldiers put the Cutter women in a car. Lester got in another car with Claudia and they drove away, escorted by the police. Nick could only stare after them conflicted with emotions.


End file.
